Yes, I'm still right here
by The Little House Scribe
Summary: Jack Lawson is still in Mount Thomas, his life uncertain. Tess's relationship with Dr Josh Carmichael continues, leading to a truce between Jack and Jonesy. Meanwhile, Hayley continues to play an important role in the dynamic relationships between them. Sequel to So, I've Decided to Return.
1. Evan Jones has a brilliant plan

**Evan Jones has a brilliant plan.**

With the return of the Thomas brothers, Jack and Jonesy were no longer needed in the Mount Thomas Cricket team; though Jonesy had blamed himself for losing the game, the rest of the team didn't hold it against him, and invited the two of them to continue to be involved with the club. Jack accepted, but Jonesy, still doubting himself, declined.

The next Sunday, Jonesy came over to the pub, where Jack was wiping the tables for Chris.

"Hey, Jack." Jonesy spoke up as he entered the establishment. "Got the afternoon free?"

"What do you have in mind?" Jack replied.

"I was thinking you might like to go Fishing. I've rented a boat."

"Give me five minutes."

Jonesy nodded, and soon the duo was on their way.

But first, they took a detour. "Going to woo Tess with a moonlight sail?" Jack asked jovially. "Did she and that Doctor break up?"

"No such luck." Jonesy muttered. "As a matter of fact, she's spending the day with him. She just asked me to pop in on Hayley – see if everything is alright. I was thinking I might invite her along."

"No problem." Jack said, and Jonesy rapped on Tess's front door.

"Hello, Constable." Hayley answered. "Jack…How are you?"

Jack smiled and waved.

"Wanna go fishing with us?" Jonesy asked.

Hayley grimaced. "Yeah, sure. I'm getting bored out of my skin here."

The trio were soon fishing on the lake. Jonesy and Hayley were enthusiastic about the whole matter, but Jack was calm, asleep under his hat, holding his line ready for a bite.

"So, what do think about Carmichael?" Jonesy asked Hayley quietly.

"The Doctor?" Hayley considered. "Well, it's not really my business, but…I think he's alright."

Jonesy continued staring out onto the lake.

"But, all the same, he is a little condescending, and I don't think…well, maybe I'm wrong…" Hayley continued. "But, you know, I don't think he really cares about Tess."

Jonesy turned to face her, eyebrows slightly raised. "Oh, he's very romantic - but I just think he's a little too much show and not enough substance." Hayley muttered, then returned to her fishing.

Jonesy's spirits brightened, and by the time the day was waning, Jonesy was taunting Jack about getting the heavier fish.

"At least mine is edible." Jack countered, whilst Hayley giggled. "Besides, Hayley got more than both of us."

"Shows what happens when you sleep on the job, Lawson." Jonesy ribbed Jack good naturedly. "So, Hayley, think Tess'll like a homestyle dinner?"

As it turned out, Tess called Hayley up, telling her that she (Tess) would be out late, so the trio feasted on their seafood. Unwary of hours slipping away, the three proceeded to play a rather furiously fought round of Monopoly, with alliances continually shifting in the epic power struggle for victory.

Tess walked in on Jonesy dancing around the room when Jack landed on his 3-housed Oxford Street.

"Peanuts." Jack muttered, handing Jonesy the money.

"What is going on here?" Tess asked, bemused.

"Lawson is being crushed under our combined commercial mastery!" Jonesy gloated gleefully.

"I don't think so," Hayley Dreamcrusher countered. "We shouldn't let someone get too big for his boots. YES! Free parking."

"I knew we shouldn't have played Free-Parking gets the money." Jonesy muttered, whilst Hayley shouted gleefully:

"Whoa, baby, hotels here I come!"

"Goodnight you three." Tess said.

"Good morning, you mean." Jack said, suddenly realising the time. "Well, I'm down, so I may as well leave. Goodnight ladies."

Jack left, but Jonesy and Hayley packed the Monopoly away, swearing to crush each other completely at their next meeting.

"Want me to drop you off?" Jonesy asked, slowing down as Jack walked down the streets.

"Sure, thanks mate."

After Jack got in, Jonesy decided to ask a question.

"So, what are you going to do about Carmicheal?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." Jack answered. "I rather think Tess can take care of herself."

"Sure she can," Jonesy rolled the steering wheel left. "But…Are you saying you don't have any feelings for her?" Jonesy asked.

"Well, I don't know." Jack replied. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, Lawson, it's very simple, Dr Carmichael is respected individual, you, meanwhile, are an ex-convict. If you woo Tess, I'll find it easier to get her away from you than him."

"In your dreams, Jonesy, in your dreams." Jack chuckled as he left Jonesy's car.

"Indeed, Jack. In my dreams."


	2. The Intervention of Benjamin

**The Intervention of Benjamin.**

"Is receipt spelled with two E's or an A?" Ben Stewart, filing forms with PJ Hasham, asked his colleague.

"What did you say?" PJ replied, looking up from his files.

"R-E-S-E-A-T or R-E-S-E-E-T?" Ben asked again. Joanna Parrish glared over at the two of them.

"Are you deliberately trying to give me a headache?" Jo demanded. PJ and Ben grinned in response. Jo sighed and went back to her work.

Ben grinned over at Jonesy. His pal was out of sorts – what with Tess hanging about with that Doctor Dude, he didn't blame him, but, as he noticed, Jonesy wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings.

PJ noticed this grin, and nodded. Jo watched them both, wondering what they were up to.

But Ben merely slipped into the kitchen and PJ went to the boss's office. Jo hunched down and began typing again.

"Hey, mate. Got you a Coffee." Said Ben kindly.

"Thanks, Ben." Jonesy replied, taking the biscuits PJ offered him without looking.

"JONESY!" Tom Croydon roared as he returned to his office from a short break. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY TIM-TAMS?"

Jonesy was about to vehemently protest his innocence, but his hands were coated in gooey chocolate.

"You owe me a pack." Boss told him, whilst Jonesy, munching on the forbidden food, could only nod. Behind him, Ben and PJ high-fived for a job well done.

On patrol, and none the worse for their morning hijinks, Ben and PJ began to converse on the matter of Tess's love-life.

"You know, Dr Dude is no good." Ben stated.

"Well, I'm no examiner of surgeons, so I couldn't agree or disagree with you."

"No, I mean, he's out of place. Jonesy's been so out of sorts with Tess being with him – he's no fun anymore. And he spends entirely too much time with Lawson. Cops hanging out with killers – it isn't done, PJ."

"Apparently it is, because Jonesy's doing it."

"Exactly; he's not thinking straight. We have to do something!"

"We do!" PJ answered emphatically. "But…" he added uncertainly. "What?"

Ben grinned in response.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" PJ asked, dressed in his best suit, as he and Ben waited inside some fancy eating place which they could not pronounce the name of.

"Oh, yeah." Ben confidently replied. "Piece of Cake."

"As you wish, sir." a passing waiter said.

"Here she comes." PJ warned, and the two hid behind a pot-plant. As they suspected, she was with Dr Josh Carmichael.

PJ and Ben, getting strange looks from all who could see them, waited whilst Carmichael and Tess wined and dined. A few people tried to get PJ and Ben away, but they just flashed their badges and were left alone.

"It's about time." Ben gestured to his watch. In front of them, a waiter arrived at Tess's table.

"Package for the Miss." The waiter formally said, and Tess, thanking him, began to open the packaging.

"Wait for it!" Ben, still hidden, grinned at Tess's moving hands.

"OUCH!" Tess exclaimed, pricked by the thorns of the roses she pulled out of the package.

"It's got no note." Tess frowned, and then brightened at her companion. "Did you send them?"

Josh grinned. "Sure did babe."

It took all of Ben's careful training not to leap out and throttle the Doctor. _He _sent those flowers. _How dare _he take the credit!

"So…what happened?" PJ asked, not getting it.

"PJ, I sent those flowers. I wanted Tess to cut herself on them so it would show how much of a lousy doctor Carmichael is."

"Err…"

"In my defence, it did work, just not as I planned."

"Yeah, but Tess doesn't know that."

"That's why we're going to break them up." Ben swore.

The days of Josh and Tess would soon be numbered.


End file.
